Time has finally clocked for the Somalia refugees to go back and have a home of their own. The all famous repatriation drive is something overdue; it should have been done way back, with leaders focusing on post-exercise progress reports.
Anyway, it is never late but again at a required and convenient time methinks! Kenya hosted foreign refugees in communal grazing lands, and it is time these communities get back their land parcels. When the fleeing Somalis and Sudanese citizens arrived in the country, they were offered temporary settlements in these areas close to 24 years ago, and now they are almost claiming ownership.
The Kenyan communities, especially the pastoralists in the now Garissa county were kept in the dark and today, the same mistake is being repeated: the host communities have no clue on what is happening and they're getting more confused.
The UN operations in Dadaab and Fafi sub-counties have had a lot of effects starting from depletion of resources, dilapidation of infrastructure to massive destruction of local environments. These have majorly affected the lives of thousands of hosting communities hence reducing their lives to sordid and abject poverty. Endless droughts ensued and this reduced the enormous livestock population in the area.
The hosting communities hosted the refugees without fear. They have since lived peacefully side by side with them, intermarried and even arbitrating on misunderstandings at the camps with the sole purpose of ensuring continued peace. Why is the state isolating them in the repatriation process? It is time the government gets to this reality and consults with the local communities on the best way to bid these foreigners bye as they head to their native countries.
Time has finally clocked for the Somalia refugees to go back and have a home of their own. The all famous repatriation drive is something over due, it should have been done way back, with leaders focusing on post-exercise progress reports.
Anyway, it is never late but again at a required and convenient time methinks! Kenya hosted foreign refugees in communal grazing lands, and it is time these communities get back their land parcels. When the fleeing Somalis and Sudanese citizens arrived in the country, they were offered temporary settlements in these areas close to 24 years ago, and now they are almost claiming ownership.
The Kenyan communities, especially the pastoralists in the now Garissa county were kept in the dark and today, the same mistake is being repeated: the host communities have no clue on what is happening and are in fact they're getting more confused.
The UN operations in Dadaab and Fafi sub-counties have had a lot of effects starting from depletion of resources, dilapidation of infrastructure to massive destruction of local environments. These have majorly affected the lives of thousands of hosting communities hence reducing their lives to sordid and abject poverty. Endless droughts ensued and this reduced the enormous livestock population in the area.
The hosting communities hosted the refugees without fear. They have since lived peacefully side by side with them, intermarried and even arbitrating on misunderstandings at the camps with the sole purpose of ensuring continued peace. Why is the state isolating them in the repatriation process? It is time the government gets to this reality and consults with the local communities on the best way to bid these foreigners bye as they head to their native countries.
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